The Magnificent Seventh
by Nroque18
Summary: After a desperate plea for help, Matt and his crew set out to reassemble the Magnificent Seven and save Tumbleweed from the Wild Bunch to bring peace and justice. Have they got what it takes to be heroes? The ninth installment of Pirate Legacy.
1. Chapter 1: Trouble in Tumbleweed

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter One Trouble in Tumbleweed

"El Toro sent you, you say. You must be here to talk to me about Captain Blood. That was a long time ago, strangers. I'm a businessman now." Sly Winkum said as he and I sat at the bar with two glasses of Yum, the others scattered around the tables behind us.

"So do you know where Blood's hideout is?" I asked. Sly Winkum gave me an annoyed look. "Of course I know where Blood's hideout was! But telling you it's in Haunted Skyway isn't going to help – the way's blocked, thanks to the Wild Bunch."

"I've never heard of them." I said, and Sly Winkum explained. "A viler band of outlaws and villains you will never find. The Bronco clan leads them, and they aim to drive all us settlers out. There's no stopping them."

"How many ships are blockading Haunted Skyway?" I asked, and Sly Winkum answered. "Thirty-three paddle steamers."

I whistled softly. The _Aquila _was a lucky ship, but even her luck wouldn't hold out against a blockade of paddle steamers, and our small crew would certainly be outnumbered by the Wild Bunch if they had enough manpower to take over a skyway.

"I know who could stop them. The Seven could do it, sure as you're born!" A voice piped up from my right. I turned to see a young brown-feathered Chicken sitting on the stool next to me, his feet not even touching the floor, and he wore blue overalls with a broken strap over a white shirt.

"What's your name, and who are the Seven?" I asked. "I'm Matt, by the way."

"My name's Timmy and you've never heard of the Magnificent Seven? They're the greatest band of heroes and lawmen that ever rode a skyway." The young Chicken said.

"Back when I was little, this skyway was no fit place for bird or beast. Weren't no law at all out here and the rangers wouldn't even show their faces. But that all changed when the Magnificent Seven came to town. They tamed this skyway and made it safe for us settlers."

"Wyatt Chirp was their leader, the greatest lawman Cool Ranch ever saw! After Wyatt cleaned up Cooper's Roost with his fists, he gathered a band of heroes to follow him, each one a legend."

"There was Wild Bill Peacock – he was the best shot with a rifle there ever was, except maybe for Miss Jane. That's Calamity Jane Canary to you. Jane can bull's-eye a silver dollar at fifty yards, easy!"

"There's Duck Holliday, the Dapper Deputy. They say Duck looks Death in the face and laughs. And don't forget Buffalo Bill, stronger than an ox, meaner than a mountain lion."

"Then there's Bat Masterson. He's quiet as a shadow and a better tracker than a bloodhound. They say Bat's from Darkmoor, but his heart is in the right place."

"Last but not least, Billy the Kid! He was an outlaw until Wyatt showed him the error of his ways. He's fast, crazy fast and a little crazy too."

"My pa told me all the stories. How the Seven beat Guaco Mole and the Red Mole Gang, shot Saguaro Slim, caught Sam Bass, and rounded up all the Waltons!"

"Nobody could stop them. The Seven tamed the Savage Skyways for years but then they went their separate ways. I guess some of them didn't get along. But now Tumbleweed's been taken over by the Wild Bunch. They're bad, bad folks! But I bet the Seven could whoop them without breaking a sweat!"

"So you see, Matt? You should track down the Seven. Duck Holliday still lives right here in Tumbleweed! You should go talk to him." Timmy finished, and I briefly considered the idea.

All lies and exaggerations are built on a single grain of truth, and if the Seven were half as good as Timmy said they were, they could tip the odds in our favor. "Alright, Timmy, where do I find Duck Holliday?"

Timmy hopped off his stool, and gesturing for the others to stay, I followed Timmy to a house on the far side of town, where a brown-feathered Duck with a graying mustache was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch.

He wore a black hat and a gray waistcoat over a white shirt and black cravat, and dark brown trousers held up by a belt. As we approached him, I casually leaned against the railing, and Timmy did the same. "So you're Duck Holliday. I've heard a lot about you."

Duck Holliday raised an eyebrow, and I continued on. "I have need of you and the Magnificent Seven. Are you interested?"

"Please say yes!" Timmy piped up next to me, giving Duck Holliday the big amber puppy dog eyes, and Duck Holliday sighed.

"You two are bold, I'll give you that." Duck Holliday said, coughing. "The Magnificent Seven are a dream that has ended. Their day is done."

"After what happened to Wyatt, _cough, cough, _I seriously doubt the six of us will ever stand in the same room together, much less go to battle."

"I do miss those days though. Tell you what – if you can get Jane, Bat, and the three Bills to agree, I'll be your huckleberry."

"Start with Buffalo Bill, who likes me not at all. Sly knows where to find him. If you can convince Bill to ride with me, the rest will come easy."

We hurried back to the Desert Rose, where Sly Winkum was at the bar, and we told him about our plan to reunite the Magnificent Seven.

"Don't tell me you actually bought that load of…" Sly Winkum said as his eyes fell upon Timmy. "It's a long shot, but the plan's so crazy, it just might work."

"After the Seven parted ways, Buffalo Bill started up a wild frontier show. I hear the show's just come back to this skyway. You'll find Bill there." Sly Winkum said as he handed me a flyer for Buffalo Bill's Traveling Medicine Show.

I looked at to see it depicting the Buffalo himself, dressed as a cowboy atop a rearing horse. "_Buffalo Bill's Traveling Medicine Show is the finest wild frontier show in the entire Spiral, with performers skilled in the circus arts! It's just across the skyway from Tumbleweed!" _

"Do you have any advice on how to deal with Buffalo Bill?" I asked, and Sly Winkum nodded. "I can tell you this: Buffalo Bill is a betting man. Wager something against his return to the Seven. If you win, he'll come back, no matter how angry he is at Duck Holliday."

I nodded as I got off my stool, and Jack stood up from his table to walk over to me. "Captain, I've just got a letter I think you should see. Let's discuss this below in the cellar, shall we?"

**A/N: I'm trying out a new formatting style dividing each quest into a chapter with names for convenience, so tell me what you think of it, and Jack's promotion quest, "The Spaniel Prisoner" will be in Stories of the Spiral.**


	2. Chapter 2: Pugilistic Integrity

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Two Pugilistic Integrity

I sighed as the bartender walked back to the bar, smiling to himself as he took the payment for last nights' drinks and rooms to his strongbox under the counter. Considering the gallons of liquid we must've drunk last night, I figured the men could go a week or two without their usual Yum ration.

After breakfast, we sailed back to Flotsam Skyway, where we took the Stormgate to Cooper's Roost Skyway. From there, we sailed through Arroyo Grande to reach Buffalo Bill's Traveling Medicine Show, which was performing on a small island across the skyway from Tumbleweed.

We dropped anchor next to the friendly sight of Boochbeard's ship, the _Flying Sloth_, a pirate galleon with its hull painted a dark red, and after we had paid the admission fee to the performers at the docks, I gave everyone two hours' leave to enjoy the show while Rena and I looked for Buffalo Bill together.

Passing by a rather bored-looking sky snake curled up in its cage at the barnyard zoo, we soon saw the Buffalo himself standing in front of the biggest tent, which was striped red and white, and he held a shotgun in his hand. "Excuse me, sir, but are you Buffalo Bill?"

"You're looking for Buffalo Bill? Look no further! I trust you're enjoying the show?" The Buffalo asked proudly as he spread his arms over the show.

I nodded, smiling falsely. I couldn't really enjoy a second-rate show that made me pay a gold coin per person for admission. Buffalo Bill seemed to be in a good mood, so I decided to tell him why we were here. "We have need of you and the Seven. Are you in?"

Buffalo Bill suddenly glared at me, and he was breathing hard and gripping his shotgun like he was about to charge at us or shoot. "The Seven are reuniting? Impossible! Did Duck Holliday send you?"

"Yes, sir, he did." I said, drawing myself up, not wanting to seem afraid of him. Buffalo Bill snorted as he crossed his arms in front of his chest stubbornly. "Well, you can tell that vile varlet, that no-good traitor that my answer is no, no, NEVER!"

"Well then, do you fancy a flutter?" I asked as I showed him my money pouch, and Buffalo Bill stroked his gray mustache and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You would wager? Very well, my young friend, against my better judgment, I agree."

"Here are my terms: you fight my pugilist, Tyson, in the ring. If you lose, you owe me five gold coins. If you win, I'll come with you. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal, sir." I said, nodding as I shook his gloved hand, and a half hour later, after word had spread throughout the show, I was sitting on a stool in the corner of the ring inside the big top, putting on my fingerless gloves while Jack rubbed my shoulders and quietly advised me on how to beat Tyson.

From outside of the ring, I saw Rena hand a gold coin to the bookmaker sitting on a stool near the ring. "Put me down for Tyson in the first round."

"You're betting against your own best friend?!" I cried indignantly, and Rena turned to look at me. "Well, since _honor _says that you can't use your weapons or your powers in this match…"

"And here I thought you had faith in me..." I muttered before turning away to face my opponent. He was a heavily-built Chicken, dressed in a blue striped tank top and trousers and he wore maroon fingerless gloves on his meaty fists. He nodded respectfully at me from across the ring, and I returned the gesture.

Soon, it was time to fight, and we stood in the center of the ring with Buffalo Bill, the announcer, his voice booming throughout the tent. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! In the red corner, we have the defending champion, Tyson! And in the blue corner, we have the challenger, Matthew Exeter!"

Buffalo Bill then spoke privately to the two of us. "Now boys, I want this to be a clean fight. No hitting below the belt and the fight ends when someone's knocked out."

We both nodded, and Buffalo Bill straightened up to address the small crowd once again. "Let's get ready to RUMBLE!"

The crowd cheered, and I heard two voices cheer for me in the front row. I glanced to see that it was Boochbeard and Mr. Gandry, who rescued Rena and me from the Armada all those months ago.

Heartened by their support, I brought my fists up and Tyson, who towered over me by a head, smiled confidently as he did the same.

As the bell rung, Tyson went for a front jab with his left fist, and in response, I used my right hand to cross his outstretched left arm and connect with his head. I knew that if his fists connected with any part of my body, I was finished, so I had to be fast.

Tyson stepped backwards from the blow, but recovered quickly, and I hopped backwards to avoid his two punches before moving in for two quick jabs and a devastating right hook to his face.

Tyson recovered and brought his fist up in an uppercut, and it would've knocked me out if I hadn't stepped to the side just in time.

I only managed to catch his shoulder with my right jab, and he swung at me with his left fist. Leaning back to avoid Tyson's attack, I brought my right fist forward into his face, hard.

Tyson was sent reeling, and I rushed forward for the knockout with an uppercut to his jaw. Tyson fell backwards onto the canvas-covered floor of the ring, and I held up my right fist in victory as everyone counted down to ten. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One…"

The bell rung again as the unconscious Tyson made no move to get up, and the cheers of Boochbeard and Mr. Gandry and those who had placed their bets on me could be heard amidst the groans of about half my crew, including Rena, and Buffalo Bill put his hand on my shoulder as he took me aside.

"Great Scott, you did it! That, stranger, was a mighty display of pugilistic prowess." Buffalo Bill said as he clapped me on the back. "I can't say I'm pleased, but I am honor bound to return with you now. The Seven will ride again!"


	3. Chapter 3: Two Down

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Three Two Down

"The Magnificent Seven are, alas, now only six. You've won over Holliday and me, time to get the rest." Buffalo Bill said as we stood at the bottom of the gangplank to the _Aquila_.

"Proceed directly to Cooper's Roost, young Matthew. Wild Bill and Calamity Jane settled down there to run the Silver Spur Saloon together."

"If I know Jane, she'll have kept tabs on the rest of us. Go win them over. I'll meet you back in Tumbleweed after I've set my show in order."

I nodded as I shook Buffalo Bill's hand. "Thank you, sir. We'll see you in Tumbleweed."

I stepped aboard the _Aquila _as her capstan brought up her anchor, and as her sails were unfurled, we sailed out of the docks of Buffalo Bill's Traveling Medicine Show before emerging from the other end of Arroyo Grande into Cooper's Roost Skyway.

Dropping anchor at the docks of Cooper's Roost, I and my trusted associates walked to the Silver Spur Saloon, where Bill Peacock, dressed in a red waistcoat over a white shirt, blue bowtie, and a white apron was at the bar, wiping down some glasses.

I sat down at the bar, and I nodded for Bill to slide down a glass of Yum down the counter. After I had downed my glass, I set down the glass gently on the counter with a sigh of satisfaction. "I hear the Magnificent Seven's getting back together in Tumbleweed. Are you and Jane planning on going?"

Bill Peacock looked up from the glass he was wiping to look at me like I was crazy, and he was probably right. "Did I hear you right? You may have dealt with the Red Sash Gang, but now you're suffering from delusions of grandeur."

"Those days are long gone. Jane and I have settled down. Gallivanting around the Skyways is a game for the young. Besides, it's too dangerous." Bill Peacock said as he shook his head. Miss Jane Canary then emerged from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Well, I'm going, dangerous or not. You're too afraid to join the party, that's your problem." Jane Canary said as she put her hands on her hips, and Bill Peacock sighed. "Well, I'm not going to let you go by yourself! Alright, I'm in. I'm getting too old for this."

"Young Matt, you're in luck. Bat Masterson is right here in Cooper's Roost. Or under it, I should say." Jane Canary said to me. "Head down to the mines, and you'll find him. We'll be getting ready here."

"Thank you both. I'll see you two later." I said as I got off my stool. Leaving some money on the counter, the others and I headed down to the silver mines underneath Cooper's Roost, where Bat Masterson himself was perched atop a crate of silver.

"Ah, we meet again! Do you need more silver?" Bat Masterson asked as we approached him, and I shook my head. "We're reuniting the Seven, and we've already got four of them. Are you in?"

"Of course I will join my old companions! But there is one problem…" Bat Masterson said, scratching a part of his bald head underneath the brim of his derby hat.

"The miners have worked unpaid for weeks as I've awaited a strongbox from Santo Pollo containing their wages. I fear the Banditoads have stolen it. I cannot leave these men unpaid. If, however, you were to recover the wages…"

"We'll get that money back." I promised, and Bat Masterson rubbed the tips of his wings together in satisfaction. "You will do it? Good, good!"

Leaving Bat to pack up, we boarded the _Aquila _to hunt down the Banditoads in Cooper's Roost Skyway. As we neared the border between the skyways of Cooper's Roost and Santo Pollo, David Clutterbuck, the port gunnery officer shouted from his perch atop the railings. "The Banditoads are on us, captain!"

"Beat to quarters!" I shouted as the men hurried to their battle stations with gunpowder and round shot. "Port guns, raking fire!"

David shouted as he pointed his finger at the bow of the Banditoad paddle steamer, and all guns fired upon her, knocking several holes in the Banditoad paddle steamer.

As the _Aquila _drew level with the Banditoad paddle steamer's port side, the first half of the boarding party leapt aboard as the swivel guns aimed and fired at the paddle wheel, destroying it.

While the boarding party kept the crew of Banditoads distracted, the _Aquila _came about around the stern of the paddle steamer and fired again at the other paddle wheel, destroying it.

"Hook us in! Bring her close!" Rena shouted as she drew her sword and pointed it at the paddle steamer. The men aboard the _Aquila _threw grappling hooks onto the railings of the paddle steamer, and began pulling her closer so that the other half of the boarding party could leap across.

"Man the swivels! Cover from the quarterdeck!" David shouted as he fired his pistol at one of the Banditoads, and the men manning the swivels hurried to load grapeshot into their guns to thin out the enemy crew.

"The ship is yours, Rena!" I shouted as I let go of the pilot's wheel. As Rena seized it, I drew one of my swords and ran down the stairs to join the rest of the boarding party on the quarterdeck, where we leapt aboard the paddle steamer, shouting battle cries.

The Banditoad crew was already exhausted from fighting the first half of the boarding party, so they were easily overpowered by the second charge, and we soon had them tied to the railings while we searched their cargo hold.

Once inside, we found strongboxes filled with silver coins, enough to pay Bat's miners their daily wages for months, and as soon as we were finished loading the cargo aboard the _Aquila_, we left the Banditoads for Cooper's Roost.

I and my trusted associates each carried a strongbox full of silver coins, which we placed in front of Bat as we entered the silver mines. "Well done, strangers! Now I can place my assistant in charge and be rid of this place. Oh, how I hate caves! It will be a great thing, fighting the good fight once again. Lead on!"

Bat flapped his bat wings to lift himself up into the air, and he followed us to the Silver Spur Saloon, where Wild Bill Peacock and Calamity Jane Canary were waiting for us, dressed in their old gear.

Calamity Jane wore a cowboy hat and a leather waistcoat over a white shirt with a red bandana, black trousers, leather riding boots with spurs, and she held a rifle in her hand.

Wild Bill Peacock was dressed in a gray overcoat open over a brown waistcoat and white shirt with a yellow bow, gray trousers held up by a leather belt, and he held a revolver in his hand.

"You got Bat on board? I figured he'd be eager – this town's too dang quiet." Calamity Jane said quietly to me as we leaned against the bar while watching Bat land on a table for a drink.

I shrugged as I accepted a drink from the bartender behind me. "There's nothing wrong with a quiet town. Now let's be about finding Billy the Kid."


	4. Chapter 4: Last, But Not Least

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Four Last, But Not Least

"Billy the Kid's the last of us. He took it real hard, what happened to Wyatt. I hear tell he went to Santo Pollo, and ran afoul of the Frogerales." Calamity Jane said as we sat down at one of the tables in the Silver Spur Saloon.

"The fool boy ended up in jail, on the Banditoad Trail. If we're going to bust him out, we'll need dynamite. You have any?" Wild Bill asked, and Ratbeard, who was sitting at the table with us, and I shook our heads.

"We've no dynamite to speak of…" Ratbeard said, but then Bat piped up from the nearest table. "I've been expecting a shipment of dynamite for use in the mines – it should be on the docks now! Let us go!"

We walked to the docks of Cooper's Roost, where several crewmen were unloading a paddle steamer filled with crates marked in big red letters, "CAUTION."

The crewmen nodded at Bat as we approached, and they opened one of the crates for him with a crowbar, revealing bright red sticks of dynamite with fuses.

"One stick should be enough, but we'll take an entire crate just to be safe." Bat said, nodding towards Ratbeard, who lifted the crate of dynamite off the planks of the dock rather carelessly, as we could hear the sticks of dynamite moving around in the box, and Bat hissed at him. "Be careful how you carry it!"

We loaded the crate of dynamite into the _Aquila_'s powder store at her bow, and we sailed east to Santo Pollo, where we each carried a stick of dynamite as we walked through town to Banditoad Trail.

We soon found the Frogerale compound where Billy was, surrounded by wooden walls with two tall wooden gates guarded by a pair of Frogerales.

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill nodded at each other, and they each took aim at a guard with their guns, and fired. The Frogerales fell flat onto their faces, and we opened the gates slowly to meet no resistance as we shut the gates behind us.

"Well alright, captain, you and your crew head up the main trail there. The boys and I will sneak around the ridges up there looking for guards. See you at the top!" Calamity Jane said. As Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, and Bat Masterson went off, my trusted associates and I hiked up the main trail.

Loading our pistols, Emmett and I stunned a patrol of four Frogerales hopping down the trail armed with double-barreled shotguns, and we continued onwards to halfway up the trail, where we intercepted a patrol of four Frogerale lieutenants, leaving them unconscious or stunned on the dusty trail.

We finally reached a wooden palisade, which was guarded by four Frogerale captains. Rena threw a smoke bomb at the Frogerales, and smoke enveloped them as the Frogerales fired their double-barreled shotguns, electrical bursts flying over our heads as we ducked behind rocks for cover.

We fired back with our own guns, and as the smoke faded away, we could see that the four Frogerale captains were stunned, lying on the dusty ground.

As we walked past the wooden palisades into the compound, we heard a familiar voice speak up from the shadows. "Ah, here you are. What kept you?"

We turned to see Bat Masterson hanging upside-down from the eaves of an adobe building, with Calamity Jane and Wild Bill below him.

We then heard another voice, unfamiliar and unfriendly, speak up from our left, and we turned to see that it was a Frogerale major, who aimed his double-barreled shotgun at us. "You are all trespassing! Surrender or you'll be sorry."

Wild Bill laughed heartily as he walked over to the Frogerale major. "There must be some mistake. We're famous lawmen, you see."

"I don't see any badges…" The Frogerale major said as he peered at us.

"We don't NEED any stinking badges! Get them!" Calamity Jane shouted, aiming her rifle at the major, as more Frogerales appeared from around the compound and took position behind cover.

"We'll guard the rear. Go!" Bat Masterson shouted as the first shots were fired, and we began running to the jailhouse, leaving him, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill to handle the Frogerales.

We narrowly avoided the crossfire between the two sides as we ran towards the doors of the jailhouse, and a few harrowing seconds later, we finally slammed the doors behind us, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of guns cocking and we looked to see a firing line of Frogerales aiming at us, the warden dressed in a black uniform with green lapels and golden epaulettes, and a tall black hat with a green feather.

"Since I became warden, some prisoners have tried to escape. Some were captured. Some perished. No one ever escaped. No ever will!" The warden shouted as he aimed at us too, and we all dove out of the way as they fired.

One managed to shoot my arm, and I felt it go limp at my side. Cursing under my breath, I drew one of my pistols to reload it one-handed as I hid behind some sacks. As I finished loading my pistol, I peered around the sacks to aim and fire at one of the Frogerales' heads, but I only managed to knock his hat off.

As I hurried to reload my pistol again, I saw the doors burst open, and Bat flew in to claw at the warden's face, and Calamity Jane and Wild Bill, having returned from their gunfight outside, had their guns blazing as they entered the room, taking the Frogerales by surprise.

Stepping over the stunned bodies of the Frogerales, we hurried past the empty cells to Billy the Kid, who was lying atop the cot inside his cell. He was a white-haired goat with small horns and blue eyes, and he wore brown overalls with green straps over a white shirt with two revolvers at his sides.

Anyway, he raised his head to see us at the bars of his cell. "Who's there?"

As Billy the Kid caught sight of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill, his eyes widened. "Holy smokes, it's Jane and Bill! What're you doing here?"

"We're here to bust you out." I answered, and Jane and Bill nodded. Billy nodded as well as he leapt out of his cot. "Well, get me out of here, and hurry!"

Strapping a stick of dynamite on both of the two hinges on Billy's cell door, we all ducked for cover as the dynamite exploded and the door fell onto the adobe floor. "Jumping jackrabbits, it's good to see you all! Thanks for the rescue, strangers."

Bat coughed from atop my shoulder, and Billy turned to look at him. "And Bat! Stranger, if you've brought these three with you, I reckon it can only mean one thing – we're putting the gang back together!"

We hurried outside the jailhouse, where I spotted a line of mine carts on a track leading out of the compound, with a handcar at the end of the line. "Here, these mine carts will get us out of here in a hurry! Let's head back to Duck's house in Tumbleweed."

Emmett, Jack, Ratbeard, and I each took half of one of the two bars on the handcar to power it and the others back to Santo Pollo atop the tracks, and we were all sweaty and tired as the others climbed out of the mine carts in front of us back at Santo Pollo.

We returned to the _Aquila _in Santo Pollo's docks, and from there, we sailed west to Cooper's Roost before turning to port to sail through Arroyo Grande to Tumbleweed.

We returned to Duck Holliday's house, where Timmy was waiting on the front porch.

"Hey, Matt, you're back!" Timmy said as he hopped off the railing, and he leaned to his left on one foot as he tried to get a good look at the people behind me. "Who's with you and your friends?"

My trusted associates and I parted to let Timmy get a good look at the Magnificent Seven, who smiled kindly at him, and he gasped as he shouted: "HOLY CROW!"


	5. Chapter 5: The Gang's All Here

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Five The Gang's All Here

"I can't believe my eyes! Billy the Kid… Calamity Jane… Wild Bill Peacock! You did it, Matt! You brought them all back!" Timmy said as hugged my legs.

I smiled as I patted him on the head. "Thank you, but where's Duck and Buffalo Bill?"

"Oh, Duck and Bill – er, Buffalo Bill, that is – they aren't here. They went on ahead to the old Chirp place." Timmy said, looking up at me as he let go of my legs. "Duck told me to tell you to meet him there, when you came back. Boy howdy, the Seven have come home! What a day!"

"Is he always this loud?" Wild Bill asked me, chuckling softly. "I think he's just excited that all of you are here. In fact, he was the one who convinced me to get you guys. Now, we'd better get to the old Chirp place."

A few minutes later, Timmy excitedly waved goodbye to us as the _Aquila _sailed out of Tumbleweed's docks and into the skyway.

As it turned out, the old Chirp place wasn't that far from Tumbleweed, and soon we had dropped anchor at the small dock at the beginning of the trail leading to the wooden gates of the old Chirp place.

We walked to the front door of Wyatt's wooden two-story plantation house, and I opened the door to the living room to find Duck Holliday and Buffalo Bill sitting inside on opposite couches in front of the unlit fireplace.

As I looked around the room, I could see that the walls were filled with crossed-out wanted posters, so I guess Wyatt must've been a busy boy.

"You're here at last! It took you long enough! Don't know how much longer I could have stayed cooped up with this blasted skunk!" Buffalo Bill said as he rose from his seat.

"Now Bill, _cough_, _cough_, are we not friends anymore?" Duck Holliday asked, coughing.

"Buffalo's right. You've got a lot of nerve calling us back here after what you done." Billy said, pointing a finger at Duck Holliday.

"That's enough of that! It's the Wild Bunch we're here to fight, not each other." Calamity Jane snapped, and the three quieted down, though not without muttering under their breath.

"That's right. It's time we did some good again. It's what Wyatt would have wanted. It's time to get our badges." Wild Bill said as he gestured to a strongbox atop the mantelpiece. Taking the key resting atop the strongbox, Wild Bill opened the strongbox and handed the Seven their badges.

"And so, the Magnificent Seven ride again! Too bad we are only six." Bat Masterson said as he pinned his badge to his black shirt, and Duck Holliday coughed again, but it was an intentional one this time. "Seven. Matthew is our seventh."

"Give Matthew Wyatt's badge." Buffalo Bill said as he pinned his badge to his leather vest. Wild Bill nodded as he turned to pin the badge to the outside of my coat. "You've earned it."

"Thank you." I said, grateful for the fact that they were willing to give me, a character suffering from designated protagonist syndrome in a badly-written work of fan fiction, the prized possession of their old friend, who's probably done a lot more good than I have.

"It is done. Before we go to battle, we should pay our respects to Wyatt. Let us go to his grave." Bat Masterson said, and the other members of the Seven nodded.

We got out of the house and walked to the grave of Wyatt Chirp near the barn, and we all stood solemnly around the gravestone.

"Wyatt, wherever you are, we hope you know that the Seven ride again, and that justice will be done." Wild Bill began, but Duck Holliday coughed. "Did you hear that?"

Suddenly, three members of the Wild Bunch, Mustang cowboys wearing green sashes and armed with revolvers, came out from behind the barn, and Billy the Kid shouted, "It's an ambush!"

We saw even more members of the Wild Bunch appear from their hiding places, and one even burst out from the outhouse near Wyatt's home, with his pants on, thankfully. I drew my weapons and heard the others do the same as I counted heads.

They outnumbered the thirteen of us three-to-one, and the Wild Bunch looked at us like hungry wolves waiting to pounce.

Duck Holliday made the first move by firing twice at a member of the Wild Bunch, stunning his hand before shooting him in the chest to incapacitate him.

A member of the Wild Bunch, armed with two knives, attempted to sneak up on Buffalo Bill from behind, but his target heard him coming and blasted him with his shotgun at almost point-blank range, leaving him stunned on the ground.

Wild Bill shot three members of the Wild Bunch in the limbs, but when it became clear that he was going to be overrun, Calamity Jane stepped in to shoot them behind their backs in record time.

Bat Masterson screeched, and the same glowing green skull with purple flames for eyes appeared to breathe purple gas onto three members of the Wild Bunch, who started coughing. I turned to look at Old Scratch, and he seemed just as surprised as I was.

Billy the Kid took on the Mustang cowboy from the outhouse, and seemingly in one smooth motion, he raced over to his opponent and unbuckled and yanked away his belt.

He then laughed hysterically at the Mustang cowboy's embarrassment as his pants fell down to reveal white boxers with a pink heart pattern, and as he dropped his revolvers to cover them up, Billy shot him in the chest.

My own crew wasn't doing so bad themselves. Rena had drawn her knife and began fighting a Mustang cowboy armed with knives, and Bonnie, after shooting her opponent's gun hand, slammed the butt of her Scaramanga into her opponent's head, knocking him out.

Emmett had fired his four pistols in rapid succession to stun four members of the Wild Bunch, and Jack had disregarded the use of his cutlass to sneak up on and choke out a Mustang cowboy who had dropped his knives as he was being choked.

Old Scratch, not to be outdone by Bat Masterson, summoned three smaller skulls to breathe purple gas onto three members of the Wild Bunch, who coughed as they fell to the floor, knocked out.

Ratbeard kicked one Mustang cowboy in between the legs with his peg leg, and slammed the hilt of his sword into his opponent's head knocking him out.

"I've seen enough! It's time for some payback!" A member of the Wild Bunch, seemingly their leader, shouted as he ran towards me with guns blazing. I recognized him from the wanted posters of the Wild Bunch at the Desert Rose saloon as Ike Bronco.

Drawing my two swords, I ran towards Ike, low to the ground to avoid his wild shots fired in anger, and I lunged towards him, tearing through the side of his shirt, and I saw blood trickle from his side.

I turned around to face Ike, and he fired twice at me, catching me in the left shoulder, and I felt my arm go limp as I dropped my sword.

In a last throw of the dice, I threw my other sword at Ike, which he easily dodged, and he smiled arrogantly at me only for his smirk to fade as I shot him in the face.

As the last gunshot stunned the last remaining member of the Wild Bunch, we had them bound and gagged just as Ike came to, and he growled at us as we stood near the hatch aboard the _Aquila _leading below deck.

"This isn't over. The Wild Bunch owns these skies! We don't want any law – we're the law. You're going to pay for this. Tumbleweed will too." Ike said as two of my men took him to the brig.

"My, it seems we've caught, _cough_, the attention of the Wild Bunch. Let's take these miscreants back to Tumbleweed, and see how the jail suits them." Duck Holliday said. We all nodded, and soon we were underway to Tumbleweed.

We walked up the ramp to Main Street, where we walked into the Desert Rose saloon, and Sly Winkum's jaw slightly dropped as he saw the Magnificent Seven behind me, and then he closed his mouth. "If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. The Magnificent Seven ride again."


	6. Chapter 6: Range War

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Six Range War

"The Wild Bunch has terrorized this skyway for too long – it's time to fight back. They want a range war? We'll give them one!" Sly Winkum said at the front of the bar as the Magnificent Seven and my crew sat inside the Desert Rose saloon, and they cheered.

"Hunt the Wild Bunch down like the dogs they are. Don't stop until you catch Buck Bronco and bring him to justice." Sly Winkum said, and in less than an hour, the _Aquila_ had set sail into Tumbleweed Skyway with the Magnificent Seven aboard.

"The Wild Bunch is on us, captain!" Richard Clutterbuck shouted from his perch atop the starboard railing as a flotilla of paddle steamers approached us, crewed with members of the Wild Bunch.

The men loaded the cannons with round shot and fired at the bows of the six paddle steamers in a raking fire maneuver.

Although each shot in a raking fire maneuver was more likely to miss the target ship than a standard broadside attack, any cannonball that hits would pass through more of the ship, increasing damage to the hull, sails, and crew, not to mention that the enemy ship wouldn't have any guns to return fire.

Knocking great big holes in the bows and hulls of the front three paddle steamers, the Seven assembled on the starboard side of the quarterdeck to return fire at the Wild Bunch.

Not to be outdone, the men hurled grenades and fired grapeshot onto the decks of the other two damaged paddle steamers, thinning out the enemy crews.

With half of their flotilla disabled, the other three moved from the back to try and board us. As the Wild Bunch leapt aboard the _Aquila_, I drew my sword and pistol. "Make them regret they came after us!"

The men shouted as they took up arms against the Wild Bunch, and leaving the pilot's wheel with one of the swivel gunners, Rena and I leapt from the helm on opposite sides of the pilot's wheel into the fray.

Stunning a desperado of the Wild Bunch with my pistol, I blunted the blade of my sword with blue energy and took on another desperado, and our blades clashed as he swiped at me with knives.

Pulling out a pistol from a holster on the back of my waist, I aimed my pistol and fired, stunning the Mustang desperado before moving on to another target.

Bonnie, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, and several men armed with rifles had climbed up the rigging, and they now wreaked havoc among the Wild Bunch with their sharpshooting.

Soon the Wild Bunch was divided into two small groups, both held at gunpoint near the port and starboard railings on the quarterdeck.

Some decided to charge headfirst into a firing line of muskets, while others decided to take the easy way out and jump overboard. The men returned to their battle stations to reload their guns and sink the two paddle steamers to our sides before the _Aquila _began pursuing the last fleeing paddle steamer.

"It's the Wild Bunch!" David Clutterbuck shouted from his perch atop the port railing as he pointed to an incoming flotilla of six paddle steamers, crewed by Mustangs and Goats wearing green sashes and armed with revolvers.

Several crewmen from below decks had set up some mortars on the quarterdeck, and after loading them, they fired the mortars to bomb the decks of the paddle steamers to our broadsides, thinning out the enemy crews and allowing us to save a precious broadside to use on the next two paddle steamers.

As the two paddle steamers sunk beneath clouds under our dual broadside, the pair of undamaged paddle steamers moved in so that their crews could leap onto the decks of the _Aquila_.

I nodded at the men on the rigging, and as they all whistled, everyone withdrew to the bow and stern so that the men on the rigging could hurl grenades down onto the Wild Bunch while the men at the bow and stern fired their muskets.

Throwing the bodies of the Wild Bunch to clear the quarterdeck, I scanned the skyway with my spyglass to see the last two paddle steamers limping away, one trailing far behind the other.

Despite their head start, we had the wind at our backs, and I shouted, "Give me everything you've got, full sail!"

As the _Aquila_'s sails were fully unfurled, the _Aquila _sped towards the closest paddle steamer, and the port side sunk her in one broadside before we moved on to the last one to board her.

The swivel gunners fired upon the paddle steamer's starboard paddle wheel, and we came about around the paddle steamer's bow to destroy the other one.

"Hook us in! Bring her close!" Rena shouted as she pointed her sword at the paddle steamer, and the men threw grappling hooks onto her railings to pull her closer so we could board her.

On the starboard side of the _Aquila_, Richard tossed each of his men a musket to aid in the defense of the men throwing the grappling hooks, led by his brother David, who fired a pistol at a Mustang desperado. "Man the swivels! Cover from the quarterdeck!"

"The ship is yours, Rena!" I shouted as I let go of the pilot's wheel for Rena to seize, and drawing my sword, I joined the boarding party on the quarterdeck.

Shouting battle cries and obscenities, we leapt aboard the paddle steamer to fight the Wild Bunch. As I turned around to deflect the knife of a desperado, I saw the rest of the Magnificent Seven leap into the fray, with guns blazing.

"Let's get them, guys!" Billy the Kid shouted as he drew his revolvers, and as he sped around the paddle steamer, Mustangs and Goats started dropping like sacks of potatoes to the cracks of Billy's revolvers.

"Let us see how you like Jobu's breath!" Bat Masterson shouted as he summoned the same glowing green skull from before to breathe purple gas onto the Wild Bunch.

"Move out of the way!" Buffalo Bill shouted as he lowered his horns and bulled his way through the Wild Bunch, blasting baddies with his shotgun as he went.

Duck Holliday actually launched himself in the air, spinning as he fired at the Wild Bunch without hitting any of our number, and Wild Bill gunned down several desperadoes as Calamity Jane shot one and thrust the barrel of her rifle into the stomach of another.

As the last of the Wild Bunch were knocked out, we began searching the bodies for any clue to Buck Bronco's whereabouts. A few minutes later, Bonnie cried out as she held up a piece of paper.

"Look – this desperado has a note. It says Buck Bronco's hiding out in a cave by the abandoned wagon train down in the canyon." Bonnie said, and Rena looked up from the money pouch of an unconscious desperado to look at her. "Then what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

We returned to the _Aquila _to set sail northwest to Arroyo Grande, where we dropped anchor in Junction to go down into the canyon.

Following a set of boot prints made recently, Bonnie led us to the mouth of a dusty cave, where we drew our weapons as we sneaked into the darkness.

As we got inside the cave, the lights went on above us, and we looked to see a patrol of outlaws led by a Bison armed with knives, who shouted deeper into the cave. "Buck! The law's here!"

Then turning to us, the Bison outlaw twirled his knives in his hands and said, "You come for Buck Bronco, strangers? Well, you can't have him!"

Suddenly, there was a bang, and Buffalo Bill sniffed as the Bison outlaw fell to the floor, stunned by his shotgun. "Let's go, partners."

The three outlaws were hopelessly outnumbered at almost a five-to-one ratio, and we soon had them stunned on the dusty ground. We then heard an unfamiliar voice speak. "Well, well! Looking for me? Well, come and get me!"

Bonnie Anne and Calamity Jane both took aim and fired, just barely missing the white hairs of Buck Bronco's tail, and they both scowled. "Get after him!"

We chased Buck deeper into the cave, overpowering patrols of Mustang outlaws as we came and went, and we soon stopped in a cobweb-covered part of the cavern to look at a trembling spider egg sac on the wall of the cavern, with a golden treasure chest on the floor in front of it.

"What's that on the wall there?" Bonnie asked, but Ratbeard pointed at the chest. "What's this, some kind of trick?"

The chest then suddenly disappeared in a flash of black smoke, catching us by surprise, and then we heard a hissing sort of laugh. We then slowly turned to see the biggest spider I've ever seen, and it was the size of an entire sloop.

Another slightly smaller spider appeared to our right, and the egg sac on the wall burst open for smaller spiders the size of Buffaloon calves to crawl out.

"Look out!" Ratbeard shouted as the spiders moved to separate us from one another, and I soon found myself surrounded by the smallest spiders as I drew my two swords.

As one spider released a string of web onto the blade of my left sword, I seized the chance to pull it closer to me so I could stab it in the abdomen.

Tearing my sword away from the web, I turned around just in time to spear a spider mid-pounce and slash the leg of another.

The two remaining spiders both pounced at the same time, and I speared them both on my swords. Drawing my swords from the spiders' bodies, I regrouped with the others before chasing after Buck.

We soon found Buck Bronco standing at the bottom of the ladder, surrounded by four thugs armed with revolvers and knives. "I said, come and get me! I thought you were supposed to be some kind of hero! You're nothing but a lot of talk and a badge!"

The four outlaws opened fire on us as Buck made his escape up the ladder, forcing us to leap out of the way before we could return fire.

I was one of the first to recover, and in rapid succession, I drew my four pistols and fired each one before dropping them on the ground, stunning the four thugs. "Come on, this way!"

We hurried up the ladder to a dusty mineshaft filled with gunpowder kegs, where another patrol of thugs was waiting for us.

"Matt!" I heard Rena shout, and a second later, one of her strikers struck a gunpowder keg so hard, it fell over and spilled black powder. Drawing my pistol, I shouted, "Everyone, get down!"

I pulled the trigger, and the burst of electricity that was fired ignited the gunpowder, and a series of explosions followed. Grabbing Rena, who was the closest to me, I held her close to shield her from the blasts until it was over.

As we stood up, we saw that the Wild Bunch, having been the closest ones to the gunpowder kegs, had taken most of the damage, and amidst the weak groans, a voice spoke up.

"You got us, strangers. But Buck, he's going to eat you for breakfast! Turn back now if you got any sense." A thug said, coughing as he sat leaning against the walls of the cave, and I regarded him coldly as we passed by.

As an afterthought when I passed him, I loaded my pistol and without looking, shot him before continuing on to another part of the mineshaft, where Buck Bronco was standing atop a lift.

"You lost? I thought the Magnificent Seven always got their man! What are you, yellow? Come on!" Buck Bronco shouted. As he pulled the lever near the hoist to drop him down, I managed to draw, aim, and fire at his left calf, causing him to nearly fall.

We ran to the lift that rose as Buck Bronco was lowered, and we pulled the lever again to lower us down into another part of the cave, which glowed aquamarine from the crystals that rose out of the water on the floor that reached to our ankles.

Buck Bronco stood in the center of the cave, along with more thugs armed with revolvers, knives, and pickaxes, probably taken from some abandoned mine.

"You think you can take down Buck Bronco, strangers? Come and get me!" Buck challenged, but I noticed how he winced slightly every time his weight shifted to his left leg.

"You're a horse with a limp, Buck. I will_ put you down_." I said in a low but clear voice, and Buck seemed unnerved as I looked him straight in the eye. "Stand back, everyone. This one's mine."

Buck Bronco then aimed his two revolvers at me and fired twice, but I ducked to avoid the shots, and I ran towards him, drawing my sword and pistol as I went.

One of Buck's thugs, a Chicken miner, swung at my head with a pickaxe, but I sliced the wooden handle in half with my sword, and the heavy and rusty blade of the pickaxe dropped on the Chicken miner's helmet, creating a nice dent and causing the Chicken to fall onto the floor, unconscious.

Dropping my sword, I drew another pistol and held both out to my sides so I could shoot the other two thugs armed with revolvers at my sides before they could shoot me.

"Where did Bronco go? The coward didn't run away, did he?" I heard Bonnie cry as I holstered my pistols and picked up my sword, and then I heard Old Scratch cry out. "Captain my captain! Look! The Bronco is back!"

I looked to see Buck Bronco hiding behind some bales of hay on the only section of dry land in the cave, and I leapt over the hay bales at him with my sword.

In a last throw of the dice, Buck emptied both his revolvers at me, but I simply blocked them with a Valor's Shield, and I landed on top of him, my toes digging into his skin and the edge of my sword pressing lightly against his throat.

"You think you've won something, stranger? You've started something you can't finish! You just called down the thunder!" Buck Bronco said before spitting in my face. I calmly wiped his spit off my face before speaking. "Well, that wasn't very nice."

I then suddenly seized his collar and slammed the hilt of my sword in between his eyes, and I could see him going cross-eyed as he fell unconscious. Stepping off his body, I sheathed my sword and threw Buck over my shoulder. "We should go."

We took the long way back to the entrance of the dusty cave, and we took the lift up to Junction, where the _Aquila _was waiting for us.

We sailed southeast back to Tumbleweed, where as we trudged through Main Street to the jail, we saw that the entire town looked a mess like a first-rate had bombarded it, and as we entered the prison, we saw Sly Winkum standing outside of a cell with a great big hole in the back wall.

Sly Winkum turned to face us and to look at Buck Bronco, and he looked troubled. "You caught Buck, I see. I'd celebrate, but I don't have it in me. A lot happened while you were away, and none of it good."


	7. Chapter 7: Payback

**The Magnificent Seventh**

Chapter Seven Payback

"We should have known the Wild Bunch wouldn't take this lying down. It seems when we arrested Ike Bronco, we went too far." Sly Winkum said as we sat at the bar of the Desert Rose.

"Not long after you all left, the Wild Bunch attacked Tumbleweed in force. They broke Ike out of jail and unleashed all manner of mayhem. But that's not the worst: they took little Timmy with them!"

"They took Timmy?!" I nearly shouted, slamming my glass down onto the bar, and Sly Winkum and the rest of the patrons of the bar looked nervously at me.

"Old Man Bronco called you out, Matthew – he's waiting at the old jailhouse for you and the Seven. Do us all a favor. End this." Sly Winkum said.

"Well then, let's be about it." I said as I stood up. After leaving some money behind on the counter, I gestured for the others to follow me to the _Aquila_.

We sailed to the old jailhouse up north near the entrance to Haunted Skyway, and it was late in the afternoon as we dropped anchor at the dock in front of the old jailhouse.

The members of my crew and the Magnificent Seven stood at the end of the dock to be briefed by Wild Bill on the plan. "Jane, Bat – you come with me. Billy, Big Bill – you head right. Matthew's crew and Duck will head for that tower. We'll meet you in the middle."

We nodded as we split up, and my group soon came into conflict with a group of ruffians from the Wild Bunch. "Everyone spread out!"

Bonnie hid behind a wall and shot the ruffians armed with bowie knives first, and then the battle erupted into a gunfight.

From behind the sacks that I was using for cover, I saw Old Scratch wave his staff, and then I heard the ruffians shout in surprise. "What the – my feet's frozen to the ground!"

Duck Holliday then seized the moment to fire at the distracted ruffians, and the others quickly followed. By the time the barrage of gunfire was over, each of the ruffians were stunned along with several burn marks on their clothes from the bursts of electricity.

"Go on, my friends. I think I shall stay here and catch my breath. You go – I'll guard the rear." Duck Holliday said as he leaned against a wall, coughing. We nodded and went on ahead, where we soon came across an old foe along with some more thugs. "Ike Bronco…"

As we aimed our guns at each other, the air was tense like a fight between two wolves surrounded by their pack waiting to tear the loser apart, but then a familiar voice shouted, "Hey there, pirates! Need a hand?"

Billy the Kid sped towards the Wild Bunch, firing his revolvers like he was playing eighth-notes with them, and the Wild Bunch was thrown into disarray, which was the perfect opportunity for Buffalo Bill to charge through and stun them with his shotgun as he went.

"We'll wrap things up here, pirates! You go on ahead!" Buffalo Bill shouted over his shoulder. We nodded and ran down the trail to the entrance of the lower cells, where we met up with Wild Bill and his group.

Duck Holliday and the other two Bills soon caught up with us, and then Wild Bill took the chance to speak as he reloaded his gun. "Are we all here? Good. I don't know what we're going to find down there, but I reckon it can't be good."

"We should go." I said as I drew my sword and pistol. I led everyone inside the lower cells, which was a cavern with smaller caves inside repurposed to be cells with iron bars.

Timmy was being held in the farthest cell, and in front of that cell stood a graying Bronco wearing a gray sash flanked by Waco Kid and Buck Bronco, and Wild Bill whispered, "Old Man Bronco…"

Old Man Bronco then pointed at me at the front of the group. "You there, you're the Ghost of the Skies, aren't you?"

"That would be me." I said, nodding. Old Man Bronco was referring to the epithet on my wanted poster issued by the Armada, which I had gotten with the speed of the _Aquila_, so fast she was hardly seen.

"So here we are. You just couldn't leave well enough alone. I'd have shared these skies with you, if you'd just asked. But no, you had to be a hero." Old Man Bronco said as he paced back and forth. "Well, it's time for you to learn what happens to heroes – just like Wyatt learned! Get them, boys!"

The lower cells erupted into chaos, with bursts of electricity flying everywhere, and I shouted, "Get their leaders!"

In the first lull of the gunfire, as I made my way across the lower cells while everyone reloaded, a thug armed with a bowie knife got out from behind cover to lunge at me, but his knife was knocked out of his hand by one of Rena's strikers.

Instead of blunting my sword with blue energy and then slamming it into his face, I punched the thug in the face, the knuckle guard of my sword helping to knock him out.

The Wild Bunch then seized the opportunity to fire their revolvers at me, and their jaws dropped slightly as I blocked their shots with a Valor's Shield, allowing me to shoot Waco Kid in the face, knocking his derby hat off as I stunned him.

I leapt behind a stalagmite as the others fired at the Wild Bunch, stunning many of them, but not Old Man Bronco and Buck.

Rena threw a smoke bomb amongst the Wild Bunch, and as the smoke rose, I emptied my four pistols before leaping in and whacking them with my two swords.

Unfortunately, as the smoke cleared, I found myself surrounded by thugs pointing their revolvers and bowie knives at me, and I wouldn't be able to block their attacks in time.

Suddenly, there was a shout, and thugs started dropping to the ground as Emmett, neglected by the author, fired his four pistols, and as the Wild Bunch were distracted, I began whacking at them again.

Soon, Old Man Bronco and Buck were the only ones left, and Emmett and I aimed our pistols at both of them and pulled the triggers, stunning them.

"Guess someone should have told the old horse we aren't heroes… we're pirates!" Ratbeard said as he came over to look at the stunned body of Old Man Bronco.

"No reason why you can't be both. Let's find Timmy." Calamity Jane said. We soon found the key to Timmy's cell on the body of Old Man Bronco, and as I unlocked his cell, Timmy ran over to hug me. "You saved me! And I got to see the Magnificent Seven in action! Thank you, Matt! Thank you!"

We left the lower cells for the _Aquila_ so we could sail south back to Tumbleweed, and it was the evening as we made port in the docks of Tumbleweed.

A half hour after we had made port, my entire crew and the entire population of Tumbleweed was crammed inside the Desert Rose to celebrate the defeat of the Wild Bunch.

"You did it, pirates! You reunited the Seven, you broke the Wild Bunch. Law's come back to Tumbleweed, and we all have you to thank." Sly Winkum said as he raised his glass, and everyone cheered as they raised their glasses to us as well.

"And now, young Matt, I expect you'll be moving on. I hate to see you go." Wild Bill said sadly as he sat with Calamity Jane.

"It is indeed a shame, but we cannot hope to chain a hero down in such a tiny town as this." Duck Holliday said, coughing.

"So I guess the Magnificent Seven are just six again after all." Billy the Kid said, but Calamity Jane shook her head. "Not quite. I reckon there's one more person we can bring into the gang. Timmy!"

"Yes, ma'am, what is it?" Timmy asked as he stood tiptoe on the seat of his chair to look over the crest rail at her.

"Way I hear it, we have you to thank for the Seven's reunion. What say Wild Bill and I train you to be a lawman, and you'd be our seventh from now on?" Calamity Jane asked, and Timmy nodded excitedly as he said, "Oh boy!"

"Oh brother…" Duck Holliday sighed while coughing, and Buffalo Bill turned to look at me. "You'd best be getting on, young Matt, before the sentiment gets to be too much! Happy trails."

I smiled. "I promise we'll leave in the morning, but how about a song before we retire for the night?"

Everyone in the room nodded, and I looked at some of the members of my crew, who had brought their guitars and violins with them. "How about we sing _Wild Rover_, boys?"

The men nodded, and they began playing the tune to _Wild Rover_, a popular folk song often sung in the Kraken Skulls Tavern back on Skull Island, and everyone began singing.

"_I've been a wild rover for many a year, and I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer._ _But now I'm returning with gold in great store, and I swear I will play the wild rover no more_."

"_And it's no, nay, never, no, nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more."_

"_I went into an alehouse that I used to frequent, and I told the landlady me money was spent. I asked her for credit, but she answered me nay. Such a customer as you, I can have any day." _

"_And it's no, nay, never, no, nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more."_

"_Then I took from my pocket, a handful of gold, and onto the table, it glittered and rolled. Well, the landlady smiled as she served me the best. What I told you before sure it was only in jest." _

"_And it's no, nay, never, no, nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more."_

"_I'll go back to my parents, confess what I've done, and I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son. And when they forgive me as oft times before, then I swear I will play the wild rover no more." _

"_And it's no, nay, never, no, nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more. And it's no, nay, never, no, nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more…"_

**A/N: So here ends the Magnificent Seventh and I hope you've enjoyed the bonus mini-songfic here. Tell me what you think of it, and the song is called Wild Rover, and where or who it came from is up for debate in Europe. The link to a video with its lyrics can be found on my profile page.**


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